


Loop (anniversary special)

by ObserverFuck



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 01:18:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17736290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObserverFuck/pseuds/ObserverFuck
Summary: There's only so much Henry can take after doing this for two years...____An anniversary special for Batim :)





	Loop (anniversary special)

**Author's Note:**

> This is an angst fic with a happy ending. Bendy is 2 years old today! So, happy anniversary/birthday to our little devil darling! Hope you enjoy. ^^

"Wait... You look familiar to me. That face..." Henry looked up at Sammy as he usually did, a weak and sad smile tugging at his lips. Sammy glanced at him for a moment before backing away and continuing to speak. "Not now... For our Lord is calling to us, my little sheep," the inky monster of a man kept rambling, and when he finally walked away, the unending dread that tugged at Henry's chest caused his heavy eyes to slowly fill with warm tears.

________

Struggling through the bowl of Bacon Soup, Henry looked up at the friendly, mute toon across from him. He bobbed his head to the music, looking the exhausted animator in the eyes. The sorrow and guilt was just too much for the artist to handle when he knew the fate of this poor creature that never did anything wrong. The knowledge of what waited ahead would always be a curse in Henry's eyes.

He looked down at the half eaten soup, his appetite faded due to all the thoughts swarming in his brain. As he looked back up at Boris, those tears coming back to his eyes, he could only find the strength to mutter one thing: 

"I'm sorry, buddy..."

__________

When he looked at the grizzly, deformed face of the angel, Henry couldn't help but feel regret rippling throughout him. She feigned an innocent face as she rambled on about the choices of the beautiful. In all honesty, Henry had missed seeing Susie's bright smile when with Allison in the music department. They had overcome their differences to voice Alice Angel together, and made a wonderful couple. He missed Allison's calm nature as well. She always had good advice, and always knew just how to make Susie giggle.

Alice continued talking, the whole errand boy conversation never failing to make Henry cringe. So many tasks, all just pointless errands that were destined to be repeated in this endless cycle. The tired brunette rested his head against the glass as he listened to Alice speak her final words of the one sided conversation. It was time to be her errand boy for the millionth time...

_________

The agonized screech reached Henry's ears immediately. The projectionist was aware that the last heart had been taken, and he ran over to where it used to lay on the mutilated corpse of the butcher gang member. The exhausted creature made a quiet noise that was similar to a whimper, and collapsed onto his knees. He didn't seem to care about the ink surrounding him as he slumped against the wall and let his legs slowly slide out from under him. Henry watched through the little miracle station as the projectionist leaned his weight on the wall, the reel in his shoulder seeming to cause him unbearable pain that kept him from fully relaxing his already weak body.

"Oh, Norman..." Henry muttered, allowing himself to creak open the door of the hiding station. The projectionist looked up at him, slightly startled at his sudden appearance. He made a halfhearted attempt to get up, but the pain that coursed through him was just to much, and he leaned back against the wall with another pathetic noise. Henry moved closer to him with caution. "Norman, it's me," he tried. The projector light dimmed as it met Henry's eyes, urging him to continue moving closer at his slow pace. "Do you remember me? It's Henry."

The sad creature seemed to be thinking, and he whined again as he lightly grasped the side of his projector head. "Norman...?"  
The inky hand slipped from the side of his head. Turning his brightening light to a wall, Henry watched as it played out a silent film, a memory from Norman's mind. Henry was handing him a cup filled with coffee, steam making its way into view. A small flash switched it to another memory of Henry resting a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Lastly, the memory switched to the fateful day when Henry walked out. Knowing Norman had come up to see what the commotion was, Henry let out a shaky breath as he watched himself leave through Norman's own eyes.

The memories stopped, and a whine made Henry look down to see the dimmed light looking at him once again, only this time there was ink in the lense. It trickled down the front of the projector and made an echoing noise as it fell into the ink below it. This former human, this inky monster was really no monster at all. This was Norman, and he was crying over the animator that had left him to be transformed into the beastly creature he now was. Henry kneeled down in front of him, tears managing to escape from his own eyes.

"I'm sorry... It'll never be enough to fix any of this, but I'm so sorry, Norman," he said as he removed his glasses, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Norman reached out his hand, and Henry took it, squeezing it gently. Another whine was his response as the projector's light slowly got dimmer. Henry sat there, never letting go of Norman's hand, and when the light finally went dark, he wiped away the last of the inky tears that remained on the projectionist's face. Though Henry could do nothing to end the poor creature's suffering, he could comfort him enough to sleep for a while. He just wished that he could be there when he woke up...

_________

Inside the attraction, the man seemed to scream the word 'stop' over and over again. No sound came out. No sound ever reached Henry's ears, even when the person inside of monstrous ride looked to be screeching in pure agony. The broken machine made no more movement after the doors closed. Henry didn't know how much more of this he could take...

__________

"BETRAYED! ABANDONED!" Henry jumped back from Sammy. He had known what was coming, but he could never truly get used to it. "You left me to rot! Why!? WHY!?" The poor man had snapped, and Henry had never before tried to get through to him. This time, however, was different. Swinging the pipe as hard as he could, Henry managed to hit the axe, knocking it out of Sammy's hand. He was quick enough to grab the weapon before the erratic man, and he threw it out into the filthy sea of ink. Sammy tensed up, beginning to back away until he witnessed Henry throw his pipe out into the inky abyss as well.

"Why...?" Sammy asked, astonished at the man who was now breathing quite harshly as he stood his ground. Henry looked up at him. "I messed up, Lawrence, I know I did. I've caused a lot of suffering, but I can't just sit back and watch it happen, especially since I caused it," the brunette stated, his breathing slowing back to normal.  
"I'm sorry, Sammy..."

A wavering breath escaped Sammy's lips, and he couldn't understand why his head began to feel dizzy. He internally fought with the feeling he did not know the name of before suddenly looking up at Henry. He slowly used both hand to lift the mask from his face, letting it fall to the dirty ground. The feelings that he had been ignoring for thirty years bubbled to the surface, and all the memories of singing to nobody in the empty studio suddenly felt so much more saddening. He didn't realize that there were inky tears falling from where his eyes would be, and he certainly didn't realize that Henry had small tears falling down his cheeks as well.

Crying for the second time that day, Henry tried to hold back the tears, but he failed. There was nothing he could do as he watched the inky figure in front of him start to move closer. When he was standing face to face with the brunette, Sammy tried to speak, but he could only seem to get one word out. "...Henry," he sobbed. The animator knew then that trying to hold back would not work, so as soon as the first sob left his own lips, he let Sammy embrace him. He put his arms around the former music director, crying along with him.

He was so tired, so worn down, and when Sammy had remembered him, he knew things would be different this time...

__________

The end...

The end had truly made him believe it was over the first time he saw it, but he found himself repeating the loop no matter what. When the end defeated the ink demon, he knew he would end up back in Joey's house, thirty years later.

However, it did not happen this time...  
The white cleared away, and Henry found himself standing in the studio, in Joey's office, with a figure across from him. Henry would know that figure anywhere...

"Joey...?"

The figure turned around. Joey Drew stood before him, though not in his old age. No, this was the Joey Drew that Henry had worked with thirty years ago. "Joey...!" The excitement, relief, and love coursed through Henry as he ran into the other man's arms. He unconsciously cried  into Joey's chest, feeling arms wrap tightly around him.

"I- I thought this would go on forever. Joey, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you- I never really wanted to," he sobbed. Joey ran fingers through his hair, soothing him best he could. "Joey, I'm so tired... After two years of this I... I can't do it anymore..." 

"Shhh, I know, I know. You're alright now," Joey murmured. "Look at me, Henry," he urged, tilting Henry's chin up. They met eyes, and Joey kissed Henry's lips in a gentle manner. "Things are gonna be different, dear. I've got you now," he said, pulling Henry back into a tight hug. They stayed that way as Henry rested his exhausted mind for just a little while, Joey stroking his hair the whole time.

"I missed you, Joey."

"I know you did... I love you."

"I love you too..."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you like this work, check out my other Bendy fics! Love you all! ♡


End file.
